we have been on the hill at the pentagon with the department of labor, side-by-side with representatives and a presidential task forces and in board rooms across the country and it is bearing results. the work for licensure and certification -- the legislation before the higher veterans act and the veterans goals for jobs act for 2012. we are grateful for this dedication and cooperation that congress has shown us on this issue. clearly, you have heard the concerns of the veterans and we appreciate everything you have done to improve the situation on the federal level. but we cannot let up. as the american legion works to capitalize on these gains and increase our efforts, we need to support to keep working with the states to improve their acceptance of military training and as the federal government has already done. legislation like the hire at home act to recognize military training, education, and experience. the american legion is now working with groups such as the american national standards institute, solutions for information design, to advise u.s. army training -- to evaluate th